Vineyards
Hamacher's wines are made from eight diverse vineyards located in Oregon's Willamette Valley. While many winemakers boast of site and vineyard designates, Eric has found that by leasing from individual vineyards all over the valley, he is able to benefit from their diversity without experiencing any of the problems of maintaining a huge infrastructure.
"In order for wines to be complete, they need to come from mature vines that are farmed well on the right site," explains Eric. "Oregon's vineyards are young and inconsistent. The best approach is to carefully blend from multiple vineyards, thereby making complete, elegant wines that are wholesome and honest."
Eric believes that to make quality wine, you must begin by spending time in the vineyards. He selected the vineyards he works with for their individual character. Vines range in age from four to 29 years. Sites run from 250' to 825' in elevation. There are numerous clones among these sites, some on rootstock and others on their own roots. All contribute something to the final blend.
Durant Vineyard
Durant Vineyard
Old vines, meticulous vineyards
Dundee Hills
Planted 1973
55 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris
Penny and Ken Durant and their son Paul have owned their vineyard in the Dundee Hills of Yamhill County since 1973. Situated on two separate but adjacent sites, the vine rows run south and east on clay loam, the red soil from which the Dundee Red Hills takes its name. Site elevation ranges from 200 to 600 feet.
The Durant Vineyard is located in a unique microclimate that allows the grapes to ripen before the heavy rains that can complicate Oregon harvests. The Durants are extremely involved in farming their land and employ careful and sustainable agriculture.
With one of the oldest vineyards in the Dundee Hills, Durant wines have set a benchmark for depth of concentration and elegance. The Durant family's goal over the past quarter century has remained the same: to raise high-quality grapes to create superior wines.
Lazy River Vineyard
Lazy River Vineyard
The promise of a new vineyard Yamhill - Carlton
Planted 1999
31 acres of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris
Owners Ned and Kirsten Lumpkin planted their Lazy River Vineyard in the fall of 1999 and marked their first harvest in 2002.
Located just three miles north of Yamhill, the site features 146 acres, 31 of which are planted with Pinot Noir and a small patch of Pinot Gris and Riesling..
Lazy River Vineyards has a site elevation ranging from 250 to 425 feet, and features an ideal north/south exposure, with a little twist to the west.
The vineyard is located on a bench of Jory soil, common near Dundee but rare in the Yamhill-Carlton highlands. The soil is extremely deep and rich. At the foot of the hill is a creek that rambles through a beautiful meadow.
Manuela Vineyard
Manuela Vineyard
Wine is in the blood Cornelius - North Willamette Valley
Planted
Manuela Bonnet-Buxton has wine in her blood (and, as she'll quickly tell you, on her palate!). A purebred Italian, Manuela hails from Piedmont, a region of Italy known for winemaking, albeit not Pinot noir!
Manuela purchased her vineyard on Ferndale Rd. in Cornelius in 1973, and planted grapes a few years later, originally as a test plot to experiment with trellises. Later, she pared down to strictly Pinot noir.
The vineyard features just under an acre of Pinot noir, grown on a NE slope at 800 feet.
The combination of the soil and the microclimate creates a grape with a peppery quality that adds a sparkle when blended with other Pinots.
Momtazi Vineyard
Momazi Vineyard
Biodynamic Vineyard Practices
McMinnville AVA
Planted 1998-2000
200 acres, predominantly Pinot Noir, with Pinot Gris
Moe and Flora Momtazi farm their land according to ancient biodynamic and organic practices. Today, the Momtazi property in the McMinnville AVA is the largest biodynamic-certified vineyard in Oregon.
Biodynamics is essentially a “from nature to nature” philosophy, with a complete absence of man-made chemicals. Instead, humus from organic compost and biodynamic preparations are used to keep the vineyard balanced and healthy.
The vineyard includes two reservoirs at the lowest points which are stocked with Rainbow trout. As trout respond quickly to any chemical change in the water, they serve as early warning indicators for the vineyard.
Momtazi Vineyard’s location in the foothills of Oregon’s Coastal Range separates it from valley weather influences. The unique microclimate of slightly warmer days and much cooler nights with less rainfall allows for exceptional growing and ripening conditions, particularly suitable for Pinot Noir. Additional complexity comes from the property’s diverse soil types which consist primarily of Nokia and Yamhill Series, laced with Peavine and Jory. Yields are kept to less than 2 tons per acre, guaranteeing fruit intensity and quality.
Cooling autumn fogs at the Momtazi Vineyard allow for slow grape ripening and exceptional flavors at harvest.